SAVE THE DATE
Opening reception on Wednesday, October 22nd – From 6PM to 8PM
OGATA Paris presents Daichiro Shinjo’s work in Europe for the first time. From Wednesday, October 22nd to Sunday, November 9th, the exhibition De Pali à Paris brings together a series of small-scale pieces, shown outside his studio for the first time, which embody the artist’s creative process. It also features large-scale works that represent the culmination of his formal explorations.
Daichiro Shinjo is a central figure of the new generation of Japanese calligraphers. He inherits the tradition of shodō (the traditional art of calligraphy) while being informed by the abstract experiments of postwar Japanese painters and calligraphers. His work stands out for the primal strength of its formal audacity: defined by intuitive gestures that leans toward abstraction. Each calligraphy is imbued with inner tension: carries an inner tension: the vivid brushstroke powerfully conveys the memory of the artist’s movement, while the radical simplification of each character creates a sense of clarity and calm.
The exhibition title “De Pali à Paris” refers both to Pali, a word from the dialect of Miyako Island, where the artist lives, meaning “field”, and to the expansion of his work into Europe. Among the emblematic works in the exhibition is the Japanese character 耕, meaning “to cultivate”. It embodies the spirit of Pali: an artistic practice of plowing and unearthing forms of expression from the depths of oneself. Through its homophony with “Paris”, it was also a playful wish – a hope to one day exhibit in the French capital. That wish has now come true.
Artist catalogue available at OGATA Paris: Sudiru (Keisho Okamoto & Daichiro Shinjo, Akaaka Art Publishing, 2025)
About Daichiro Shinjo
Born in 1992 on Miyako Island, Okinawa, Daichiro Shinjo studied calligraphy under his grandfather, who was both a Zen priest and folklorist. He developed a deep sensitivity to Miyako’s island environment: its abundant nature, intense light, ans spiritual and religious context. This unique sensibility shapes his work, informing both the choice of natural, local materials and the execution of his calligraphy. His artistic voice reflects a successful fusion of Chinese character traditions, their import and development in Japan, and the interplay between these classical forms and the vernacular culture of Miyako.
Discover Daichiro Shinjo’s works: https://www.instagram.com/daichiro_/
Artist catalogue available at OGATA Paris: Sudiru (Keisho Okamoto & Daichiro Shinjo, Akaaka Art Publishing, 2025)
Daichiro Shinjo – De Pali à Paris
From October 22nd to November 9th 2025
Vernissage (open to public): Wednesday, October 22nd 2025 – From 6PM to 8PM